Blank Canvas

by jokeraddict0

Izuku wants to be a Hero. Everyone, even All Might, tells him 'no'. But one person, who is NOT a Hero, finally tells him 'yes'. And, knowing this person's conviction and beliefs about Heroes, Izuku knows they mean it. Izuku decides to become a Hero through the Support Course, making friends along the way. (quirkless AU, eventual mxm Tododeku, part 1 of series, cross posted)

53. Mind Over Matter

(A/N: Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." ... "Hitoshi using his Quirk." ... -Dialogue using sign language.- )

...

Purple eyes slowly opened only to immediately shut at the sight of the stark white of the ceiling above him. The brightness did not help the headache lingering in Hitoshi's brain after using his Quirk continuously like that. In fact, it caused a sharp twinge to arise behind his eyes and he couldn't help but let out a pained grunt. The noise caught the attention of another person in the room.

"Now now, dear," a calming elderly woman voice said. Hitoshi squinted an eye at her and saw that it was Recovery Girl, recognizing her from Izuku's notebooks. "Lie still and let me take a look at you."

Hitoshi gladly just laid there with his eyes closed as she checked him over. From his match against Bakugou, he knew he had some burns and scrapes from his dodging being more or less successful. The purple haired teen was grateful for all the training he had done with Izuku, Aizawa, and Yamada before the Sports Festival. He had a feeling that if he hadn't then that match would not have gone as well as it did.

Izuku was right that a Quirk is just a tool and you need to have more than one in your belt to be successful.

In fact, now that he thought about it, the rest of the festival would have been quite different if Hitoshi hadn't 'ran into' Izuku when he had and become friends with the insistent greenette.

I probably would have been a friendless General Studies student who just brainwashed his way all the way through and lost in the first wave of one-on-one matches.

At this realization, he was even more grateful that Izuku had literally fallen into his life. He owed the green haired shorty so much and all he had to do to begin their friendship was to declare that Hitoshi's Quirk didn't make him a Villain. That he was the one who chose who and what he wanted to be. That his Quirk did not define him.

"Alright, dear," Recovery Girl said, breaking him from his thoughts. "I already disinfected and treated any physical injuries you may have. Most were healed by my Quirk and the rest should be fine after some more rest. Though I've noticed you've kept your eyes closed this entire time. Any other ailments I need to address?"

"I have a slight headache," Hitoshi admitted because the ache behind his eyes was only slight in his experience. Though perhaps to others it might be more moderate than slight. "I sometimes get them because my Quirk is a mental type and I was using it continuously during the fight."

"Hmm…very well. I'll mark that down in your file to research possible solutions later," the nurse said, helping him sit up on the bed. Thankfully she faced him away from the main source of light and he was able to slightly open his eyes to see her. "For now, I'll give you some fast-acting pain killers for the headache. I'm also going to use my Quirk again to heal some of your more serious burns a bit more now that you've rested a little. But only those so as not to drain too much of your energy. You have one last match to attend after all. Though I would prefer to let you rest longer."

Hitoshi watched through barely opened eyes as the Hero walked over to a cabinet and took out a bottle. She deposited two small pills in her hand, grabbed a bottle of water, and returned to the bed he was sitting on. He gratefully took the water, opened it, and then popped the pills in his mouth downing them with a swig of water. The liquid soothed the dry feeling in his throat that he hadn't noticed before. It felt nice so he swallowed another mouthful.

Satisfied with him taking the medicine, Recovery Girl gave him a peck on the cheek and Hitoshi could feel the worst of his injuries suddenly feeling better. At the expense of him feeling more tired as the healing occurred. Though, being half dead on his feet was not a new experience for the insomniac. He's struggled through a day on less energy than this. Though, the energy gummies the nurse handed to him on his way out were helping as he munched on them on his way through the halls.

...

A 'ping' noise sounded in the commentator's booth. Shouta turned to look at Hizashi as the blonde took out his phone to read the message just sent to him. He passed the phone over to his husband before turning to the microphone. The tired man sighed in relief at the text that said the purple one was up and moving, getting the reluctant all clear from Chiyo to compete in the final match. Shouta swore that the two problem children, who weren't even in his class yet, were going to be the reason he developed early grey hairs.

"WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE FOR YA, SPORTS FANS! OUR SLEEPING BEAUTY IS FINALLY AWAKE AND SO OUR TWO FINALISTS ARE NOW READY TO KICK IT INTO ACTION! OUR NEXT AND FINAL MATCH WITLL BE STARTING ANYTIME NOW, SO GET THOSE BUTTS BACK IN THOSE SEATS!"

Hizashi turned off the mic and then slumped back in his seat with a huff. Despite his show of energetic excitement, the tired man knew he was just as stressed about the currently underlying situation as Shouta was. Even more so on an emotional level as this involved his favorite student. Plus, the blonde had grown attached to the purple one from his homeroom after training with him for weeks alongside the green one. Both of whom had been recently attacked, one sanctioned until it wasn't and the other not at all, by the same aggressive explosive teen. Unfortunately, because the festival was still underway, the handling of the situation had to be put on hold, leaving a level of suspense as Bakugou was awaiting punishment for his actions.

The lack of immediate justice must be eating Hizashi up inside as much as it is with me.

Now, Shouta wasn't much one for words when it came to expressing himself. He was more one for actions. Which worked well for him in his Hero work. Though in situations like this, the Erasure Hero found it difficult to show his support and desire to reassure the other that he was there for him. Especially not in public as he was a very private man.

But, in the privacy of the commentator's booth, there was one small comfort he could provide for his husband. Reaching towards the other, one of the tired man's bandaged hands took hold of one of the blonde's and intertwined their fingers. A silent physical sign that he was there for the other.

Hizashi shot him a surprised look which then morphed into a warm smile. The Voice Hero brought the hand in his up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the wrapped knuckles. He then gave his hand a comforting squeeze, but not too hard since he was still healing. Lowering their connected hands but not letting go, he worked to prepare for the final match one handed. Thank the heavens Shouta was still wrapped in bandages so no one, not even Hizashi, could see the slight pink flush of his cheeks.

The married couple sat in companionable silence as they waited to continue to the last match. Enjoying their private moment of holding hands, grounding each other through this stressful time. It was at that time that Shouta got a call on his own phone.

What now? Shouta thought with a sigh. Not letting go of Hizashi's hand, he pulled the device out of his pocket with his free one and quirked an eyebrow in question at who was calling. Iida?

...

As they had waited for Shinsou to wake up, Tenya sat in his seat in the 1-A booth feeling disappointed in himself. He had lost and didn't make it as far as he had hoped. Sure, the engine user had made it to the top five of the Obstacle Course and was on the first-place team in the Cavalry Battle placing him among the top sixteen students over all. However, the one-on-one matches he had did not go as anticipated.

First of all, Hatsume took him for a ride and used him to showcase her, as she called them, 'babies' while feigning it under the guise of sportsmanship. And he had believed her because he thought they were friends. But were they? He didn't know. At least she bowed out after using him as her advertising puppet allowing him another chance to show his skills.

Midoriya did mention she wanted to apologize though.

Then he was in the top eight students and was eager to fight his way into the semi-finals. But first he would have to face Todoroki. He didn't know much about the youngest son of Endeavor before he started to share lunches with him at UA thanks to Midoriya. Yes, Tenya had seen Todoroki sometimes at social events where Pro Hero families were invited, but the bi-color teen had usually seemed occupied spending time with either his father or Yaoyorozu at such events. Which he didn't want to interrupt so as not to intrude.

Being the progeny of the Number Two Hero suggested to Tenya that Todoroki would have had training prior to attending UA. Which was confirmed as he witnessed the other boy's skills during Hero training in the weeks leading up to the Sports Festival. Todoroki had great skill with his ice and who knows what he could do with his fire as he had proclaimed he refused to ever use it in a fight before the Cavalry Battle. Therefore, going up against Todoroki seemed a daunting challenge but one he had looked forward to facing.

During their match, the engine user had given his all with the goal to win the fight as fast as possible. He knew his Recipro Burst had a time limit but it was his best bet to win against the ice user who had taken Sero out in an instant. Yet it wasn't enough for he had foolishly forgotten that not only could Todoroki sent out large long ranged attacks, but also precision ones at close range. This lapse of awareness cost him the match as well as the first-place spot, effectively ending his advancement and remaining in the top eight.

"WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE FOR YA, SPORTS FANS! OUR SLEEPING BEAUTY IS FINALLY AWAKE AND SO OUR TWO FINALISTS ARE NOW READY TO KICK IT INTO ACTION! OUR NEXT AND FINAL MATCH WITLL BE STARTING ANYTIME NOW, SO GET THOSE BUTTS BACK IN THOSE SEATS!"

As Present Mic announced that the other finalist was now awake, an alert from his phone caused Tenya's whole body to vibrate raising concerned looks from his peers. After assuring his friends and classmates that everything was alright, he took out his phone to see what it was about.

Mother?

The engine user excused himself to respond and left the 1-A section to call his mother back in private. After finding a quiet corner, he mentally prepared himself to confess and apologize for his loss before he phoned her back. His call was picked up immediately barely a ring into it.

"Hello, mother," Tenya said promptly. "I am sorry to tell you this, but I lost. I apologize for disappointing you. I…"

"Tenya, that's not what I'm calling about," his mother interjected. She sounded like she was in distress. "I mean, I'm sorry for you. But…"

There was sniffling on the other side of the line. What on earth could have happened?

"Mother?" Tenya inquired, worry building inside him. "Is everything ok?"

"No, son, it's…it's your brother," his mother whimpered. "Tensei, he…a Villain got him!"

Losing didn't matter anymore. Tenya's brother had been attacked by a Villain and was most like seriously injured. Snapping into action as a class president should, he was able to get the hospital location from his mother and then promptly called Aizawa to inform him of the situation. His homeroom teacher granted him permission to leave and be with his family. Tenya thanked the Hero and swiftly walked through the halls to change.

...

Izuku made it to his assigned tunnel just as Present Mic announced that Hitoshi was awake and okay enough to participate in the final match. The greenette sighed in relief to know that his friend was alright after the fierce battle he had against Ka-Bakugou. No, he isn't Katsuki anymore. He's Bakugou now and probably has been for a long time. Izuku had held onto the hope that they were still friends at some level for so long but after what the other did to him and his Support Items, he finally realized that they weren't friends anymore.

It hurt. To know that the boy who had been his childhood friend, who used to play Heroes with him, and who had wanted to become Heroes together now valued him so little to destroy all his hard work. That he chalked up all his efforts to cheating rather than the strategy and hard work that it was. That despite having found his edge and used that edge to get him this far, the other still believed that just because he was Quirkless that he shouldn't be here at all. That because of a genetic peculiarity that assigned him two pinky toe joints rather than a Quirk, he had no chance, or right to even try apparently, to become a Hero.

Bakugou is wrong, Izuku thought to himself, his face twisted into determined anger and his fists clenched. I made it this far with my own power. Which just so happens to be my analysis and my Support Items rather than a Quirk. I will become a Hero and so will Hitoshi-kun. We are the final two students and surpassed all the other Hero Course students despite their extra training. We can do this.

"THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME FOR OUR FINAL MATCH OF THE FINAL ROUND! LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR FINALISTS IN THIS FINALIZING FINALE!"

"And I'll finally be free of these annoying attempts at humor of yours."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, ERASER?! MY PUNS HAVE BEEN FANTA-STICK!"

A muffled growl followed by a muted smack and a distressed squawk came through the sound system and Izuku couldn't help but giggle to himself at their antics.

"ANYWAY! THIS YEAR'S FINALISTS ARE MAKING HISTORY! NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL HAVE WE HAD NOT JUST ONE BUT TWO FINALISTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE HERO COURSE!"

There was a collective murmur of awe from the crowd at that revelation. Typically, the finals consisted of competitors solely from the Hero Course with a few outliers here or there spread throughout the years. Such as Aizawa when he had attended UA and won his first year Sports Festival. Said Hero then proceeded to share his two cents on the situation.

"This is proof that the current form of assessing potential future Heroes is flawed. That just because you have a 'strong' Quirk does not guarantee you success. I, too, had to fight my way into the Hero Course and I can confirm that those two have the same goal in mind. By making it to this point, fighting using their own strength and skills developed through hard work, they have proven their potential to be Heroes."

"YOU SOUND LIKE A PROUD PARENT, ERASER! AND THEY AREN'T EVEN IN YOUR CLASS!"

"…yet."

That one word came out as a quiet murmur from the Erasure Hero, but the mics picked it up all the same. Izuku couldn't help the small smile that flashed on his face at their mentor's praise. Green eyes looked across the field at his friend who approached the opening of his own tunnel. Although he couldn't really see it from a distance, Izuku could guess that even Hitoshi couldn't stop a proud smirk from growing on his face.

Aizawa, Pro Hero Eraserhead, known for expelling students as he saw fit, believed in them and was proud of how far they had come. The finals. Izuku almost couldn't believe it himself but looking up at the screens confirmed it where pictures of Hitoshi and himself were shown.

One on One Battle Final Lineup

Midoriya Izuku VS Shinsou Hitoshi

They really did it. The two Hero-aspiring underdogs had fought tooth and nail, making it to the final match. The final battle for the coveted first place spot. To have both the finalists not be from the Hero Course was practically unheard of until today. That fact filled Izuku with pride.

"FIRST UP, REPRESENTING THE SUPPORT COURSE, SO FAR HE'S PROVEN TO BE SHARP AS A 'TECH' AND QUICK TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE SITUATION! LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM FOR MIDORIYA IZUKU!"

The crowded yelled their encouragement as Izuku stepped out onto the field. However, there was some vocalized confusion from the stands as he walked out quite noticeably bereft of the abundance of Support Items that he had sported throughout the festival. The greenette paid them no mind as he walked to the arena with his hands and his single Support Item in his pockets.

"VERSUS! REPRESENTING GENERAL STUDIES MUCH LIKE ERASER HERE DID BACK IN HIS HEYDAY…"

"Heyday?"

"…HE'S SHOWN TO BE ONE TO WATCH WHAT YOU SAY AROUND HIM OR HE'LL FORCE YOU TO BEHAVE! GIVE IT UP FOR SHINSOU HITOSHI!"

The greenette watched as his friend left the tunnel and headed towards him. Hitoshi still had some bandages wrapped around him here and there and the shadows under his eyes appeared a bit darker than usual. Though Izuku chalked that up to Recovery Girl using her Quirk just enough to allow the injured teen to compete. As the taller boy approached, purple eyes took in the lack of Support Items and quirked a brow in question. Izuku simply smiled at his friend and said nothing.

"READY?"

"Midoriya…" Hitoshi uttered.

Ah, trying to trip me up by using my family name instead of my first. Nice move, Hitoshi-kun!

"BEGIN!"

"…what happened to your Support Items?" the brainwasher asked, now standing in a well-practiced defensive stance.

Izuku knew that Hitoshi had laced the question with his Quirk. That what he was about to do would be seen as foolish and stupid on his part to those who knew he knew all about the other boy's Quirk. But Izuku had a plan. To help Hitoshi show his skill and…that there is always a way around a Quirk.

Looking at his friend, Izuku smiled with the hand in his pocket turning the dial on the hidden device a number of clicks. He took a steadying deep breath and replied with only one word.

"Bakugou."

Then he was under.

...

Hitoshi was disappointed, to say the least. In less than a second, Izuku had responded to his very first question without putting up so much as a fight. He thought that they had agreed to not throw the match or go easy on the other. But Izuku had answered to him right at the start and that was that.

With a sigh, he walked up to his friend but not close enough to touch. Hitoshi looked into those typically green eyes, but while under his control, the friendly hue was nothing but vacant white. It was sort of unnerving to see the greenette like this. The brainwasher had been conditioned growing up to associate his Quirk with Villainy. Both at hom…at the house he lived in and at school. So, to see his first real friend like this felt very very wrong.

Also, did Bakubitch really have something to do with Izuku's lack of Support Items? Wait…Izuku said Bakugou, not Katsuki. What the hell did that dickwad do?!

"WHAT'S THE DEALIO WITH THIS, YO? BEFORE THIS, MIDORIYA HAS SHOWN HE IS NO ONE TRICK PONY! BUT SHINSOU SEEMS TO HAVE SNARED HIM OUT OF HIS WITS! ON TOP OF THAT, OUR SUPPORT REP HAS A SERIOUS LACK OF TECH ON HIM!"

"There was an…issue with Midoriya's Support Items and so was unable to bring those that 'malfunctioned' into this match."

"Issue, my ass," Hitoshi snarked to a blank faced Izuku. "Bakagou himself is a malfunction. Though I know you would object to me saying that with your forgiving nature if you weren't under my control at the moment. Well, I guess there's no use stretching this out. Now turn around and…"

But Hitoshi's command cut off as he felt the hold on Izuku's mind abruptly snap away from his mental fingers as life suddenly returned to those familiar green eyes. What…what just happened? The purple haired teen stared at his friend in shock as the shorter boy blinked and, upon seeing how close Hitoshi was, swiftly aimed a kick at him. The taller boy blocked it with his arm and then jumped back to a safer distance. Hitoshi looked up to see the other grinning at him in a somewhat defensive position while keeping one of his hands in his pocket.

"H-how did you do that?" Hitoshi asked, mixing his Quirk in on instinct.

"It's a secret," Izuku replied, knowing he did but answering anyway.

Green eyes turned white once again. Hitoshi felt the pull of the mental strings in place as his Quirk took effect. He was unsure what had broken his control before but again, Izuku had responded to his Quirked question. The purple haired teen studied the other for anything out of the ordinary but nothing really stood out to him. Especially with the lack of Support Items.

"Turn around and walk out of bounds," the brainwasher commanded, eyeing the other suspiciously.

The greenette slowly turned and began to walk towards the edge. However, after a few steps, the mental tethers snapped once more and Izuku stopped while Hitoshi looked at him in shock. Again, he had managed to break out of his hold. Once Hitoshi could consider a matter of luck, but twice? No. Something was up. He studied his friend again for any clues as to how but still nothing major stood out. Except for maybe the hand in his pocket.

Hitoshi eyed the concealed hand and purple eyes flicked up to green with a smirk, "You've got a trick up your sleeve, don't you?"

Izuku smirked back, "Maybe."

Again, he went under and his eyes went blank. This time Hitoshi didn't waste time and ordered his friend to walk out of bounds right away. But whatever broke him out the first two times saved him again and severed the connection. Izuku turned around and this time rushed at his friend.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! MIDORIYA MUST HAVE SOMETHING LEFT IN HIS BAG OF TRICKS BECAUSE HE'S MANAGED TO BREAK OUT OF SHINSOU'S CONTROL! NOT JUST ONCE BUT MULTIPLE TIMES! QUITE A FEAT CONSIDERING SHINSOU HAS BEEN ABLE TO STOP THEM ALL DEAD IN THEIR 'TRICKS' UNTIL NOW!"

"These two are good friends and have been working together to prepare for this festival from the very first day of school. They know how the other works and as it has been from the beginning of the festival, Midoriya has a plan in mind even though we don't know what it is. There's no telling how this match will go."

Hitoshi moved to defend against the coming punch from a bandaged fist aimed at him. Where did the bandages come from? Apparently, it was a feint though as Izuku ducked down into a low spinning sweep kick. The brainwasher found himself losing his balance as the other knocked his legs out from under him and then proceeded to tackle him to the ground. Hitoshi found himself pinned by the shorter yet stronger boy.

"How are you doing this?" Hitoshi asked, Quirk laced in hopes of getting him to respond again.

However, Izuku seemed to have other plans and avoided answering the question. Instead, he looked down at Hitoshi with a conspiratorial grin as he said, "Let's spar, Hitoshi-kun."

The response did not in anyway answer Hitoshi's original question and so didn't count for his Quirk to work. An annoying drawback Izuku and he had discovered during their training. That the 'victim's' response, whether consciously or subconsciously, had to be related to the question or statement for it to work or no dice.

"Huh?" the brainwasher breathed out, surprised by that to the point of forgetting to use his Quirk.

"We've gotten this far," Izuku said cheerfully, his hand already back in his pocket. "Let's just have some fun!"

"Seriously?" Hitoshi asked with a huff of disbelieving laughter, a quirked brow, and once again, his Quirk as well. "In the middle of a fight?"

"Yep!" Izuku chirped with a bright smile only for his face to go blank under his control.

"Get off me," the brainwasher ordered with a fond but incredulous expression.

Slowly the white eyed greenette lifted himself off of the other and Hitoshi righted himself as well once he was free. He was about to command Izuku again when whatever had severed the connection before did so once more. Green returned to his eyes as the tethers were ripped from the other's mental fingers. Then that conniving smile reappeared on his friend's face.

This was not how Hitoshi had expected this fight to go. Before the match, the Gen Ed student had been worried how the match would pan out. Thinking Izuku would have all his tech and kick his brainwashing ass out with ease. Then Izuku had walked out with no visible Support Items at all. Hitoshi was of course concerned since his friend was so proud of his gadgets and had used them so expertly throughout the entire day.

Until now that is.

Going up against a friend was weird. Hitoshi's Quirk relied on his ability to read people and figure out the best way to get them to respond. Rile them up or caught them off guard. Easy to do with most but this was Izuku. One of his best friends. Hitoshi didn't want to make him angry or frustrated. And he wouldn't be able to catch Izuku off guard either with all the practice and analyzing of his Quirk they had done together.

Which left the issue of how to get the greenette to respond. To figure out what question, what comment, would get him to answer the brainwasher. A conundrum that was solved by Hitoshi's concerned curiosity about his friend's sudden lack of Support Items. Surprisingly getting a willing answer that filled the taller teen with worry and anger for his friend.

With Izuku under his control after that first question, Hitoshi had thought the match was over much like his fights before. That his friend had 'let' him win even though they had promised not to. It had filled him with disappointment until that first severed connection. Whatever the Quirkless teen had in his pocket was serving as a perfect counter to his brainwashing. Allowing him to break free from his control again and again as Izuku purposefully responded to him.

He wants to draw this out, Hitoshi thought with an amused huff.

Izuku didn't want to give up. Not without a fair fight. Which, with whatever gadget he had in his pocket, this match certainly was. The brainwasher versus the Quirkless boy with the perfect tech to counter his Quirk. Proving that no Quirk is infallible and that there's always a way to counter it.

I wonder what exactly he's got in his pocket.

A question to be asked later after their fight. For the here and now, the current match was more important than finding out how Izuku was breaking from his control. Here the greenette was asking for them to 'spar' and 'have some fun' to show them who they are. Which was a brainwasher and a Quirkless teen. Both with a mental advantage though one was from a Quirk and the other from his own natural intellect.

To be honest, between the two of us, Izuku is definitely physically stronger.

Not too surprising considering Izuku had been training longer. Had already started his personal fight for his dream to be a Hero years ago. Taking self defense and then taking the initiative to clean that dump of a beach practically single handedly. All to help the community as well as do strength training at the same time. Selflessly not taking the credit being simply happy that people could enjoy the beach again.

Izuku…you really are a Hero.

It was the truth. Izuku was a Hero. Not in title, but in mind, body, and heart. Down to his very soul, the Quirkless boy was a Hero. Not being in the Hero Course be damned. Yet, anyway. His friend's drive to be a Hero was kind of intimidating, to be honest. Seemed more genuine than Hitoshi's who did want to help people but also wanted to be a Hero out of spite for those who labeled him a Villain because of his Quirk. Which Izuku was doing as well to spite those who had told him 'no' but there seemed to be so much more to it. As if Izuku's entire being was to be a Hero. Nothing else would do. Nothing else fit.

Izuku is a Hero through and through.

They both wanted to be Heroes. Had both fought their way through all the other students to end up here in the final match. To prove that they had what it takes to be Heroes same as those who managed to pass the Hero Practical. That they were worthy to join those blessed with 'strong' Quirks. To end up here as the final two above all the rest.

Take that, universe.

At this point, it didn't matter which one of them won. A single placement difference and nothing more. Being the final two just had to be enough to prove themselves. Aizawa's earlier 'yet' comment brought some credence to that hope. That they were enough to be considered for transfer.

Unless the universe decides to pull the rug out from under us at the last minute.

Hitoshi forcefully shook that negative thought away as now was not the time for that. He needed to focus on the task at hand. During his thoughts, Izuku hadn't made a single move proving that he didn't want to rush this. He wanted this to be a fair fight. Quirk versus Support Item. Tit for tat. About as fair as one could get.

By this point, the crowd was growing restless. It was the final match and neither of them had shown anything flashy yet. No sparks or explosions. No fire or ice. No acid, vines, or sentient shadows. Not even super speed or hardened strength. Izuku didn't even have any tech to show off other than whatever was in his pocket. The audience of the UA Sports Festival was used to a flashier finale and yet the two finalists weren't giving it to them.

As the two stared at each other, the crowd started to voice their peeved opinions. Demanding for the two finalists to stop messing around and fight for real already. For them to show off their Quirks and give them the flashy fight they craved. One that they would never get when the match was between one with a mental type Quirk and one with no Quirk at all. A fact that made the Quirkless boy across from him laugh.

"Ha! Jokes on them!" Izuku quipped, rolling his eyes at the audience before turning back to his friend with an almost feral grin. "We don't have enough 'flash' between the two of us to light a lightbulb."

Jokes, huh? Hitoshi thought as Aizawa decided to chime in with his own thoughts on the matter.

"If you're expecting a 'flashy' fight, prepare to be sorely disappointed. These two are good friends. They've trained together for weeks and know each other's skill sets. Neither have a 'flashy' Quirk and are relying on their own strengths and trained techniques. This will be a fight of personal strength, strategy, and endurance. Factors that play a huge role in Hero fights especially the ones that don't get covered by the media just because they don't offer much of a show. Heroes are not just their Quirks but the effort and hard work put in to save others and keep the peace."

"Well, that was quite the rant," Izuku commented with a huff of laughter. "Way to call out the media on their BS coverage."

Hitoshi simply hummed in response, still thinking about Izuku's comment about jokes. It was one of the several techniques they had discussed in getting people to respond to the brainwasher. He had already tried questions, puns, misdirection, and insults with pretty good results. Jokes was another along with others such as famous commercial jingles and even impressions once Hitoshi got the proposed voice changer from his Support friends.

As Aizawa said, this was a fight between friends. Good friends. Best friends. Friends that knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. Well, mostly anyway. Izuku had kept whatever was breaking him out of the brainwasher's control a secret which Hitoshi could respect. Whatever it was has kept this final match interesting. The purple haired teen had thought the fight had been over after Izuku responded the first time. But the repeated escaping from his brainwashing with no clue as to how on Hitoshi's part added a level of suspense.

"Come on, Hitoshi-kun," Izuku drawled with a grin, moving a hand back into his pocket. "They want a show. Let's 'show' them what we're made of."

Alright, Izuku. We'll do it your way. Let's put on a show.

A conspiratorial grin of his own spread on Hitoshi's face as he took a defensive stance and said, "Hey Izuku, what did the paper say to the pencil?"

A flash of confusion fleetingly past over the greenette's face before he also fell into a practice stance with an understanding smile and his hand in his pocket as he answered, "Write on."

Green faded to white once more as Izuku's posture slackened. Hitoshi again ordered him to walk out of bounds but was unsurprised that the other broke out of his mental hold before he did. Which was fine because he didn't care about winning that way. Or winning in general because that didn't matter. As Izuku requested, it was time to have some fun.

Once Izuku came back to himself, he lunged at Hitoshi and the pair fell into a well-practiced dance as they swung at each other and dodged in response when necessary. For a while, Hitoshi shot Quirked questions out left and right which Izuku refused to answer. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and focused on keeping the fight a physical Quirkless one for a time. They fought like a well-oiled machine, a result from their weeks of training together.

"Izuku," Hitoshi called out after succeeding in pushing his friend away for a moment and tried a different kind of joke. "Knock knock."

-Who's there?- Izuku signed and silently mouthed with a cheeky smirk rather than reply verbally. One of the few signs Hitoshi could recognize having watched the greenette practice at lunch and outside of school before.

So that's how you're going to play, huh?

"Alice," the brainwasher went on.

The greenette put his hand in his pocket before responding, "Alice who?"

Green turned white yet again.

"Alice is fair in love and war," Hitoshi said, finishing the joke with a smirk. "Now turn around and run out of bounds."

The greenette did as commanded. Abruptly spinning around and running to the edge only to once again stop before he crossed the line.

Damn, so close.

Seeing how close he was to the line, Izuku scrambled back towards the middle of the ring before turning to face Hitoshi again. They were both breathing heavy from their sparring yet also wore matching grins at their play. Because that's all their fight was now. Playful. Fun. A fight fueled by comradery and friendship. Neither cared who won. Just that the fight was fought fair and square. Both giving their best efforts to the match.

"Hitoshi-kun," Izuku breathed out with a smile and prepared stance. "What does a pepper do when it's angry?"

The brainwasher quirked an eyebrow at the fact that the greenette was telling him a joke now. He was about to ask a Quirk laced 'what' when his friend lurched forward with an attack.

"It gets jalapeño face!" Izuku declared with a bandaged right hook to Hitoshi's jaw.

The blow knocked the taller boy back but he righted himself quickly. The shorter teen surged forward to attack again and the purple haired one matched to grapple with the other. Hitoshi had to use all his strength to keep Izuku at bay but didn't let it show on his face. After learning how long his friend had been learning to fight, Hitoshi wondered how Izuku would have fared if he had taken the Hero Practical, Quirks be damned. His physical strength alone was no joke.

"I told you ten jokes to get you to laugh," the brainwasher quipped, working his Quirk in despite figuring the other wouldn't answer. "Sadly, no pun in ten did."

Izuku's face scrunched as he obviously was trying to hold back a laugh as that would count as a response. Instead, he crouched down slightly only to spring up with both feet and kick Hitoshi in the gut. The greenette used his body as a spring board to back flip through the air and land a distance away. While the purple haired teen flailed to right himself.

"What did the ocean say to the beach?" Izuku called out from across the arena, hand already in his pocket.

"What?" Hitoshi barked back.

"Nothing, it just waved!" the greenette chirped with a bright smile that quickly vanished.

Again, the brainwasher ordered his friend to run out of bounds and again, the other broke out of his hold before he did. They fell into a new routine of trading jokes back and forth while they sparred and then separated. Just two punny guys duking it out through physical attacks and word play.

"What's brown and sticky?"

"A stick!"

Purple controls green. Green escapes purple.

"What do you get when two drums and a cymbal fall down a mineshaft?"

"What?"

"Ba-dum tss!"

Green willingly answers purple only to free himself again.

"How does a dog say 'hello' in Japan?"

"Konni-chihuahua!"

On and on, the jokes kept coming as they lunged and parried with their fists and feet. Trading blows to their bodies as well as their minds. Hitoshi even tried to shake things up at times not even bothering to use his Quirk every time. Both as an attempt to catch Izuku off guard as well as to give his mind a break from the building headache. One that was building on top of the previous one he earned during his fight with Bakugou. But no matter what, Izuku would not answer him until he fiddled with whatever was in his pocket first.

The crowd's protests from early on in their fight had died down long ago. Instead, they watched with bated breath as the two students fought down below. Gasping each time the General Studies student was able to control the Support Course student and ordered him around only for the other to break whatever hold he had been under. The fight wasn't flashy but as it went on the suspense of who would be the ultimate winner grew with tension of the live audience.

But as with all good things, this match too had to come to an end. Frankly, both Izuku and Hitoshi were tired. It had been a long ass day of constant fighting and after this final drawn out match, they were absolutely exhausted. They continued trading jokes and hits alike while trying to push the other over the edge. Other than one of them managing to pin the other long and well enough to warrant calling 'uncle', forcing the other out of bounds was the way this would end.

Izuku was on the offensive as he was so close to pushing Hitoshi over the line. The brainwasher saw this and punched the shorter boy in the face hard enough to make his nose bleed. Hitoshi moved to land another attack when the Quirkless boy ducked and dodged around the taller teen. Placing him closer to the boundary than Hitoshi.

The feral smile that spread on Izuku's face as they both turned to face each other was down right terrifying paired with the bloody nose. Hitoshi even felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight. In their gut, they both knew this was the pivotal moment. The one to determine victory or defeat. They stood there staring at each other panting for a few seconds more before the brainwasher lunged.

One second Hitoshi was moving to shove his friend over the line and the next all he could see was blue sky. He found that the wind had been knocked out of him and he gasped for breath while trying to understand what happened. Izuku had grabbed him by the shirt collar with his right bandaged hand as the other took hold of the taller boy's wrist. In a power move, the greenette had hurled the brainwasher over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and slammed him down to the ground on the other side of the line. The arena was deathly silent as Midnight made her final call.

"Shinsou is out of bounds!" Midnight announced with a crack of her whip. "Midoriya is the winner!"

"THERE YA HAVE IT, FOLKS! WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THIS MATCH, THE ULITMATE WINNER OF THE UA FIRST YEAR SPORTS FESTIVAL IS MIDORIYA IZUKU FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE! WITH SHINSOU HITOSHI FROM GENERAL STUDIES TAKING SECOND! LET'S HEAR IT FOR THEM, YEAH?!"

The crowd roared as Izuku went to go help his friend up. The shorter of the two offered his hand which the other took as his friend pulled him up. Hitoshi dusted off the dirt on his uniform once he was standing which Izuku helped with by brushing off his back. They then both walked out of the arena to get the mandatory checkup from Recovery Girl. Not that either of them was seriously hurt at all other than Izuku's nose and Hitoshi's headache.

"Congrats on winning, Izuku," Hitoshi said as they headed towards Recovery Girl's office. "You had me worried there at the start, but thanks for not going easy on me. By the way, how did you break out of my Quirk?"

"Thanks, and you're welcome," Izuku replied, as he pulled something out of his pants pocket. "Oh, and to answer your question, I was able to with this."

He held out a small black puck like thing and placed it into Hitoshi's hand. Hitoshi watched as Izuku turned the dial on the front face a few notches and when it timed out, the disk vibrated in his hand.

"Huh." That was all Hitoshi could say.

"It was my first solo invention after Mei-chan started to teach me how to make Support Items," Izuku explained, looking down at the disk with a soft nostalgic smile. "It's not much, but while practicing with your Quirk, I thought it was a good idea to have something like this to shake me out of your control."

"What's it called?" Hitoshi asked, looking down at the small disk in awe. He was impressed at the level of forethought that his friend had.

"Y'know, I never actually named that one," Izuku confessed. "It was the first Support Item I ever made to give me an edge."

"That's what you should call it," Hitoshi said abruptly.

"What?"

"Edge."

"…is this your attempt at being…edgy?" Izuku asked with a smirk. The name was good but he had another plan for it.

"Is this your way of telling me to buzz off?" Hitoshi retorted with his own smirk as he handed back the disk.

Izuku rolled his eyes at his friend's pun. "I guess our friendship has just timed out."

The pair continued to pass puns back and forth in playful banter as the field was being prepared for the Awards Ceremony.

...

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Notes extension: post/642035203075981312/chapter-53-sports-festival-mind-over-matter